WAUKESHA, Wis. - Challenging nonconference matchups can often help accelerate a team's progression, serve as a good measuring stick and build character.
The Carroll University women's lacrosse team was reminded of that fact as it lost to Loras College 13-6 in a nonconference home opener at Schneider Stadium on Thursday night.
It was the second early-season nonconference loss for Carroll, which dropped to 1-2 overall.
Carroll led 4-3 midway through the first half but Loras responded with four unanswered goals over the course of the final 15 minutes to seize the momentum.
Loras senior midfielder Anna Schwalbe, who finished with a game-high six goals, capped the decisive stretch by scoring what eventually became the game-winner off an assist from freshman midfielder Olivia Finn with 32 seconds remaining. 
It proved to be a critical turning point as the Duhawks carried the momentum over into the second half, outscoring Carroll by a 6-2 margin.
"We started off strong, brought a lot of intensity to the field for the majority of the first half but then gave up a few big goals in the final minutes," said Carroll third-year head coach Michael Hodge, whose team led 3-0 after the opening nine minutes of the contest. "At that point in the game, Loras was able to run right down the middle of the field and we fell a little out of balance the rest of the way. During the second half, we did a nice job of battling back and attempting to slow them down. They just were able to take advantage of of their speed, finish on the opportunities and take control. 
"Our No. 1 rule is to simply get better each day, whether it be for class, practice or in a game situation and tonight we continued to make progress. We certainly learned something about ourselves with the effort. Now we just have to make the most of the experience as we prepare for our next game (at University of Dallas on March 16)."
Donna January, a 5-foot-3 graduate attacker from Andower, Minn., scored a team-high four goals to lead Carroll, which was outshot 40-14 - including a key 26-10 shot-on-goal advantage. 
It was the second consecutive four-goal performance and equaled a season-high for January, whose strong, determined effort was highlighted by a standout unassisted shot to regain a 4-3 lead at the 23:05 mark of the first half.
On her memorable second goal of the evening, January took possession near the right sideline, made a quick, diagonal cut toward the middle, sprinted 30 yards and exploited a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper by firing a strong shot into the back of the net. 
The success was short lived and ultimately set the stage for Loras' momentum-shifting run.
"Being a third-year player in the program, it's really great to have Donna's skills and leadership on the field," Hodge said. "She stepped up for us in a big way and her hustle was unmatched throughout the night. From beginning to end, she showcased her determination and grit. Looking back, it was one of the best games of her career."
Junior attacker Betty Koenig (Sun Prairie, Wis.) contributed a goal and two assists for the Pioneers. who committed 21 turnovers and didn't have a free-position shot in the game. Sophomore midefielder Katie Majewski (Mundelein, Ill.) had the other goal and freshman attacker Amanda Ferr (Franklin, Wis.) collected an assist.
Carroll sophomore goalkeeper Shelby Schoob (Sun Prairie, Wis.) registered 13 saves in playing the entire 60 minutes.
Junior attacker Sarah Hanson had four goals for Loras, which earned its first victory of the season to improve to 1-1 overall. Senior attacker Hannah Nelson, junior midfielder Katie Kulas and sophomore midfielder Molly Dougherty each added a goal.
Junior goalkeeper Ashley McGee had four saves in going the distance for the Duhawks.